Pumping at Work - Minneapolis,MN

When I pumped at work about 3x a day (I did it for 9 months) I would just rinse them out in the bathroom sink after each time I was done. Then every night I would use one of the Medela Microwave Sterilization bags to totally sterilize all of the parts (not the hoses though). I know you can buy the bags at target. It seemed to work well that way!

I kept a big ziplock in with my pump and put the pieces in there after rinsing them. Then I threw that Ziplock in my purse or bag to take home to wash and sterilize each night. That way I didn't have to drag my pump back and forth to work each day. I just locked that part in an empty file drawer.

Just wanted to add my support for you pumping at work. Its a big ol' pain in the bootie, but so so good for you and your baby. I pumped myself for many months (both at home and at work - I had a preemie who couldn't nurse for the first 3 months of his life). I think you've gotten many good suggestions already on how to handle the pump supplies. I just rinsed them at work and washed them well at home, but I have friends who pumped multiple times a day at work (which I'm sure you need to do with an 11 week old) and they either washed and dried the supplies at the sink or washed them and then microwaved them in the Medela bag (the one downside to the microwave was that people would come in and ask my friend what she was making - they were always a little embarassed when it wasn't a frozen lunch). I love the cake pan idea someone already suggested.

Good luck - I really hope you find a system that works for you so you can pump for many more months and continue to breastfeed your baby when you are together.

Best wishes,
B.

I used to rinse everything in super hot water & then take it back to my cube where I laid it out on a paper towel until the afternoon. No one really came into my little office area so there wasn't a problem of trying to explain "what is all that stuff?" But a few times I put it all in an empty desk drawer if I knew other people would be on my computer during lunch or something. Pumping & working is like having 2 jobs... Good luck!

I washed them at work and brought my own drying towel and dryed them and put them in a ziploc bag in my pump bag. When I got home I would wash them again to make sure they were clean. I only pumped in the morning before I left the house (I would wash them and dry them before I left) and once at work. The rest of the time I was home and just breastfed my son. I breastfed him and pumped for a year.

Hello D.-
When I returned to work, I had to clean the pump in our bathroom....gross :) Anyways I was not able to leave everything out to dry in a public restroom so I purchased a tupperwear cake pan, and lined it with a a clean rag. After I washed my pump I would place it in the container and let it dry under my desk. Eventually I just started drying the pieces and putting them back in the bag. Both options worked for me! Hooray for you!!! Breastfeeding is so good for our babies :)

Good Luck
-N.

When I had to pump I had a desk I would was them and put in my desk and they would dry out and rewash they when I got home. I am sure that if you had room in the kitchen with drawer you could lay them out and let air dry

Get a cheap microwave and then purchase those bags (from Medela, I think) that allow you to microwave clean your stuff. You can dump the parts--HOT-- out of the bag and then much more quickly dry them with a towel.

If you don't have room for the micro, don't worry about putting the parts on the dish rack. They're clean and unattached to any suggestive body parts. Most folks won't have a clue anyway.

Your place of employment should support you in these extra efforts. Would it work to consult an hr person? Good luck.

I pumped at work for my now 3 year old, and I pump at work for my daughter. I don't have a sink so I wipe the parts with Medela wipes (they're available at Target). My understanding is that as long as the pump parts are washed and disinfected once a day, using them throughout the day without washing is fine. If you want an offical answer on whether or not this might breed bacteria or other questionable things on your pump or in the pumped milk, Medela has a web-site which answers such qustions. They also offer free access to a lacation consultant via email Good Luck.

Hi D.,

I had the same issues. What I did was wash everything out in the small sink and then wipe it dry as best I could. When I got home I would re-clean everything because the cleanings at work weren't always the best. Eventually I stopped caring if anyone was offended by seeing my pumping paraphernalia and it was way less stressful after that. I even began putting my freshly pumped milk bags in the community freezer at work, and, to my surpirse, no one cared. I did put the clear bags into a brown paper bag, but they were there nonetheless. After being back to work for a couple weeks I started feeling like I was a slave to my pump, so that was the impetus to stop worrying so much about offending anyone- I just wanted to do what what easiest, and like I said, people understand. Good luck with everything and hang in there, you'll find your groove.